I just found this on the NY Times. There are probably few of you with your hands free enough to read it, but I do. I’m actually living vicariously through it. Saddleshoos has something of a talent in the kitchen, and a love of the process of preparing a meal. Sadly, both of the two Thanksgiving dinners Saddleshoos is attending this year (at 2PM PST and 5PM PST respectively) will be catered rather than cooked by people I know and love with participation (for better or worse) of various blood and non-blood relatives.

Here is a funny excerpt from the blog featuring a Bay Area celeb:

Waters in the Weeds | 1:18 p.m. OK, so just so no one feels alone, Miss Alice Waters herself just called. Thanksgiving at her house is in the weeds a bit, too. She was looking for one of my guests, the chef Scott Peacock, who has yet to arrive. (And really, it’s not like my daily life is all fancy and chef-y. It’s just that I have a job that involves talking to these people. And since we are all interested in food, we tend to find each other on food holidays.)

Anyway, she had a cornbread crisis of some kind and wanted to talk with Scott, who is up in Central Park reading a poem at a pilgrim monument or something. He should be here soon.

Alice also reports that there was a granita incident involving her daughter, and that she forgot she had put the stuffing on an antique 1920s tray and then accidentally put it in a warm oven to dry.

She now has a ruined tray and a stuffing emergency.

So how is your Thanksgiving cooking going so far? Send in all near misses and disasters.

Digital mixing, wine drinking, and my favorite magazine, Sunset. I know there are some haters out there, but it is a really soothing cornucopia of Western food, travel, and the good life. Think slow food and Napa. Great recipes too.

I hope you have a great thanksgiving. What I’m doing for Thankgiving is I’m going to my dad’s house and eat turkey, pupkin pie (yum!!!), Apple pie, mashed potatoes ETC. I’m going to have a party and invite my friends over to have dinner with us. At the party I’m going to chit-chat, text on my cell phone, and eat a lot of food. Well that’s my Thanksgiving what’s yours???

Sincerely,

Txxx Mxxx

Txxx starts everyday by walking down the hallway and saying “[Saddleshoos] I have something to tell you!” I say: “What?” and Txxx says “HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!”

Txxx is a fun kid with highly developed adult-like social skills (chit-chat and texting at dinner, sound familiar?). I’m proud of Txxx because he is learning to put his glasses on when he comes to class. You don’t understand the significance of the battle of the glasses with middle schoolers. Children you must see in order to learn!

Wow, wow, wow. Everyone wants peonies ALL the time. They are the ultimate in lushness and pure beauty. When I was working at Bloomies desperate husbands would come in looking for their wives’ favorite flower from June to March and walk away sorely disappointed, with ranunculus if they were lucky. The elusive peony can usually only be found in the months of April and May. Due to the need for a deep frost, they will not produce blooms in California, although I’ve heard of many people trying and harvesting nothing but their fabulous greens.

BUT, BUT, I found peonies at (GASP) TRADER JOES this week!!! They had them in from Chile, and they were priced at $6.99 a bunch!!! Peonies are tough to get in off-season for under $15 a stem. Usually they have to be shipped from New Zealand in a tight bud that isn’t even guaranteed to open.

So, without further ado, the TJ’s peonies:

See is believing: check out that price tag!

When I went back last night they were sold out, but I’m guessing they will get more. So run to your Trader Joe’s and ask one of those super helpful part-timers when they’re getting the next shipment in from Chile!